I've been struggling with my flat lander friends to get an CO archery elk hunt going for 2018. Also looking for a good unit or spot if someone doesn't mind sharing info. I've been at this for 10 years and it's tough from a far.

Every OTC unit is good and bad depending on where you are and how hard/smart you are willing to work. The honest success rates are about the same across the state for OTC. Know that the published success rates are skewed upward by outfitted/private hunting, so divide whatever they publish by about half for public land. Study the CO interactive maps on the CPW website for public vs private in the units. Take a look at the estimated hunter numbers and success rates on the CPW statistics pages, but know those are only guesses, not accurate.

Park yourself on the elk forum and read all the threads about OTC and DIY elk hunting, absorb as much as you can, throw a dart at the CO map, get in really great shape, be very mobile and hunt from a mobile base camp, and go for it. You'll have fun and learn a lot to help you the next time.

No one will give u a specific unit but if u pic a unit anywhere that the dow has a good elk herd listed and stick to it until u learn it u will be hunting the best otc unit in Colorado. success really depends on learning a piece of ground as well as u can year after year. Good luck

If your hunting out of a main camp daily make sure you study your maps for a good water source. Humping water for any great distance in altitude gets old real fast. Try to keep your group as small as possible....it`s big country until 4 of you are pounding the same ground everyday.

Colo is a great place to visit in the summer. You can work out a lot of bugs, figure out access, equipment that can stay in the truck and stuff you may need, etc during the summer and likely save a year or 2 of spinning your wheels. Think outside the box and put lots of boot leather on the ground! The more you are willing to research, scout, and hammer out miles and miles in remote/difficult to access country the more likely you will have success. As mentioned in another post elk in OTC units in Colo get hammered from August into November every year so tend to know where to get away from hunters. Think about where you would go if you were an elk with literally hundreds of hunters after you and ATV's running up and down every 2 track road! It also helps to be in prime shape!

As mentioned pick just pick a place and go. If I waited for friends to go with me I'm pretty sure I never would have went. Get yourself in good shape, if you can't get there to scout just scout remotely as much as possible, keep your plan flexible and cover a lot of ground.

And people wonder why newbies don't get more help. Make a post and then don't leave any other feedback. If you really want help, you are going to have to work at it harder than that. My advice is don't go, unless you are ready to be addicted after hearing that first bugle.

Your not gonna get much help here, check out the area around Meeker or Pagossa Springs. Meeker is a little tamer, Paggossa is more rugged. Then research the biologist that are assigned to those areas that work with the Dow, and call them. Pick there minds, they are normally very easy to talk to.Then with your info get paper maps and Google maps and find the trailheads sometimes if your lucky or good on a pc, you can see the wall tents and activity from when the maps were uploaded. Also, look for spots that require a river or creek crossing on foot. Bring waders. That takes care of some pressure in It's self. It's not as hard as you think, then just do it! I have done it for years, like 12 until I was down to hunting solo, now I do a one man drops each year, wife feels better about it. I think 2 or 3 is the right size, to big decreases success. I'm 58, good luck